It’s early in the season, but the time has come for Steve Bruce to give Yoshinori Muto a bigger role at Newcastle United.
Newcastle United have only scored three goals in their first four games this season and all three of those goals have come from different players – Jonjo Shelvey (vs. Norwich City), Joelinton (vs. Tottenham) and Fabian Schar (vs. Watford). Having diverse scoring options within a squad is a great thing, but the expectation is for the Magpies’ attacking duo, which is worth £61m, to carry this team.
Unfortunately, the early performances are indicating that this will not happen. Joelinton has gotten off the mark with a goal and tries to set up teammates multiple times in every game. Moreover, the Brazilian has already taken more shots than Alexandre Lacazette, Son Heung-Min and Anthony Martial. This shows that Joelinton is playing his part in the offense, but Miguel Almiron is not.
Almiron knows how to get fans out of their seats when he blows past defenders and runs towards goal, but his final touch is making supporters question whether he truly is worth £21m. Steve Bruce has been playing Almiron as a striker alongside Joelinton, but the former Atlanta United star has only managed to take six shots in four games and none of them have been on target. Last season, Rafa Benitez played Almiron as a winger, and in ten appearances last term Almiron created 19 chances with eight shots on target.
Bruce wants to implement his own philosophy and designate different roles for players, but he should take a page out of Benitez’s notes and move Almiron out wide, especially now that Matt Ritchie and Allan Saint-Maximin are out with severe ankle and hamstring injuries. In doing so, Bruce should give Yoshinori Muto a chance to play as the secondary striker alongside Joelinton from the opening whistle.
Muto was a major disappointment last season, so he has a lot to prove during this campaign if he wants a future on Tyneside. The good news, though, is that Muto does look like an improved player. He scored against West Ham in the Premier League Asia tournament this summer and he found the back of the net against Leicester City in the Carabao Cup.
In league play, Muto has only been utilized as a late substitute in three games, so his impact has been limited, but he is more active on the front-line and is calling for the ball. He had a decent scoring rate for Mainz in the Bundesliga, so the skill is there, but he needs an opportunity as a starter. The fact that more pressure rests on Joelinton’s shoulders to perform should actually benefit Muto to perform better as well.